Effects of Simvastatin Treatment on Serum Adiponectin Concentrations in Patients With Dislipidemia

BACKGROUND Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-derived protein with anti-inflammatory properties. Statins are a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, widely used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVES In the current study, we aimed to assess the effects of simvastatin on serum levels of adiponectin in patients with dyslipidemia, recruited from Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 102 patients with dyslipidemia were treated with simvastatin or placebo during a double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial. The adiponectin levels were measured before and after each treatment period. Seventy seven participants completed the study. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in serum total cholesterol (approxmately 21%), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (approxmately 28%), and triglycerides (approxmately 11%), after four weeks of treatment with simvastatin (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS No significant change in serum adiponectin concentrations was observed after treatment with simvastatin. This may be because of the relatively short duration of treatment and longer treatment duration may be necessary to investigation in future studies.